The object of numerous scientific studies and esoteric teachings, the inspirer of poets and romantics - all this is the full moon. Photos of the night luminary are illustrated by articles on cosmic achievements and discoveries, and at the same time on magic and superstitions. Literally every full moon is accompanied by a surge of interest in mystical phenomena and in representations, ancient and modern, associated with it. Someone they cause a condescending smile, many believe in such things unconditionally. What constitutes a full moon from the point of view of astronomy, what superstitions are associated with it, and what are the results of studies that verify them, this will be discussed below.
Phases
The moon, as you know, does not emit light. We can admire the night beauty only thanks to the Sun. The moon reflects its rays and sends them to Earth. Accordingly, the phases of the night luminary are related to what area of its surface at a particular moment in time is available for solar radiation. The degree of illumination of the satellite’s surface depends on the features of the relative position of it, the Earth and our star.
The day of the full moon, or full moon, comes at a time when the plane drawn through the night and daytime luminary, as well as our planet, is perpendicular to the ecliptic. The sun at this moment makes visible the entire round face of the satellite.
Ash light
Sometimes the full moon arises at an "inopportune hour." This effect is known as ash light. It consists in the fact that shortly after the new moon or when the month is quite thin, the rest of the satellite’s surface becomes noticeable. The pale, as if smoke-filled Moon reflects the light that, starting its way from the Sun, passed through the Earth’s atmosphere. Less intense rays give rise to a dim glow and a characteristic ashen color.
Height
Those who regularly observe the sky know that the full moon does not always rise high above the horizon. Each month, his situation changes slightly. The difference is especially noticeable in summer compared to winter. The full moon in the warm season never rises high. In winter, on the contrary, you can enjoy it almost all night, because the satellite reaches almost the zenith point. This difference is associated with the features of the orbit of the night luminary.
For the earth observer, the moon moves along almost the same trajectory as the sun. Her path passes through the zodiac constellations, that is, in many respects coincides with the ecliptic. True, there is a significant difference. The moon in winter is almost where the sun is in the summer, that is, high in the sky, and vice versa.
Eclipse
The trajectories of movement of the day and night luminary do not completely coincide. This fact has a rather pleasant consequence: thanks to it we have the opportunity to see the satellite in all its glory, round and bright. If both luminaries passed the same path across the sky, then once, sometimes twice a month a lunar eclipse would occur . Moreover, it would always fall on the full moon. It was on this day that the Earth would completely block the night light from the rays of the day. Similarly, on a new moon, a satellite would always be located between the Sun and the Earth, that is, a monthly total eclipse of our star would occur.
In the familiar world, these phenomena do not happen so often. Eclipses occur only on those days when the Moon, full or new, passes through the so-called nodes of the orbit - the points where the planes of motion of it and the Earth intersect.
Illusion
The large full moon, the photo of which is presented in the article, is a phenomenon, according to scientists, associated with the height of the night luminary above the horizon. Several times a year, at the line where the earth meets the sky, you can observe a bright satellite, which seems much larger in size than usual. The word “seeming” is not accidental here. Researchers call this phenomenon "moon illusion." Indeed, if we compare at this moment the night luminary with a coin, and then repeat the measurements when the satellite rises above and assumes the standard dimensions, the result will be the same. The moon is not getting bigger - it is an optical illusion. The most interesting thing is that she still has not received an exhaustive explanation: there are several theories, but some kind of counterargument is testifying against each. However, this does not prevent you from admiring the magnificent and slightly, albeit illusory, larger night luminary.
The illusion of the moon should not be confused with super moon. This is an astronomical phenomenon. It occurs on those days when the full moon or new moon coincides with the moment the satellite passes the perihelion, that is, the point of minimum distance to the Earth. At the same time, the night luminary actually increases in size by about 14%.
Representations of the ancients
In ancient times, the ancestors of modern people animated the phenomena of nature, stars and planets. The expression “magic of the full moon” was not a metaphor for them, but a statement of fact. The night star in the mythology of the ancients often opposed the day. Many peoples associated with it a negative, dark beginning, often female energies, passivity, and everything related to witchcraft. The Full Moon was worshiped, feared, respected, tried to appease.
In more developed religious traditions, the veneration of the animate luminary was replaced by the service of the gods personifying it. In Greek mythology, this role was played by Artemis, Hecate and Selene, in Roman - Diana. In Ancient Egypt, Thoth, Khonsu and Yah were associated with the Moon.
Echoes of the most ancient ideas about the influence of the night luminary on a person are present in our life today.
An alarming night of the full moon
Perhaps everyone knows superstitions, signs and mystical ideas associated with the full moon. The most stable of them describe the effects on health, mental and physical. It is believed that on the full moon, people become more excitable. This is reflected primarily in the quality of night rest. Its duration decreases, the likelihood of insomnia increases, it takes more time to fall asleep. For the same reason, people with mental illness may experience an aggravation on such days. Often at risk include epileptics. According to many people, the full moon increases the likelihood of attacks or their frequency. Increased excitability is manifested in an increase in crime, the number of accidents and other things. Also, a similar influence of the night luminary contributes to an increase in sexual desire. There is an idea that with the full moon more children are born or the number of conceptions increases.
Astrologers recommend devoting such days to affairs requiring great strength. At the full moon, by raising the total energy, quite bold projects can be implemented. It’s good to schedule interviews and public speaking at such a time.
Some of the prevailing ideas about the effects of the full moon have been repeatedly tested by scientists in the past and present centuries.
Research issue
In 2013, in Switzerland, scientists tested the effect of the full moon on sleep quality. The experiment involved 33 people. During the full moon, scientists recorded the state of various areas of the brain and compared them with results obtained in another period. It turned out that on the full moon, a few days before and after it, people experienced certain sleep problems. The general condition was more restless. The time to fall asleep increased by about 5 minutes, the duration of sleep, on the contrary, decreased (by 20 minutes).
Scientific opinion
On the one hand, the study clearly confirms the prevailing view. On the other hand, only 33 people participated in the experiment, and this is too small for the results to be considered unambiguously true for everyone.
Most studies, summarizing the numerous data obtained in recent years, on the contrary, do not find a connection between the lunar cycle and the behavior / condition of people. The analysis showed that the night luminary does not affect the number of suicides, nor the crime rate, nor the number of road crashes or attacks of insanity. There was also no relationship between aggressive animal behavior and the full moon.
Scientists did not study the issue of the influence of the satellite of our planet on the number of correctly made decisions or successfully passed exams. Perhaps similar studies are yet to come.
It has been suggested that the light of the full moon or the tidal interaction of our planet with a satellite can affect a person. However, scientists have not yet confirmed these data. Nevertheless, the full moon still remains for many people an important factor affecting their behavior and life in general. As a rule, they quite rightly notice that scientists can be wrong.